Retired 3-star general censured over Tillman death

August 1, 2007|By Josh White The Washington Post

WASHINGTON — Army Secretary Pete Geren has censured a retired three-star general for misconduct in the investigation of the 2004 friendly fire death of former NFL player and Army Ranger Pat Tillman. Geren also recommended that the retired general be evaluated for a possible demotion, an extremely rare move.

Geren announced Tuesday that he had censured retired Lt. Gen. Philip R. Kensinger Jr. after senior Army officers determined that Kensinger lied to investigators about when he knew Tillman's death was a suspected friendly fire case. Investigators found that Kensinger was alerted to Tillman's fate days before he attended a nationally televised funeral service for Tillman, at which time family members believed the Army's story that Tillman died while attacking enemy forces in Afghanistan.

"Your failings compounded the grief suffered by the Tillman family, resulted in the dissemination of erroneous information, and caused lasting damage to the reputation and credibility of the U.S. Army," Geren wrote in a letter to Kensinger released Tuesday.

Kensinger, who was the commanding general for U.S. Special Operations Command until his retirement in Feb. 2006, argued against an administrative reprimand. "Never did I lie or would I lie, deceive, or intend to obstruct or mislead in any fashion," he wrote in an official rebuttal.

Two one-star generals also received written punishments for their roles in the case. Geren said that while the case was "poorly handled" - and that regulations for notifying the family were not followed - there was never an effort to cover up Tillman's death nor any conspiracy to mislead the public. Tillman's family continues to seek more information about the case.

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is scheduled to hear testimony today about what senior defense leaders knew regarding Tillman's death.